Three Most Important Skin Care Tips for Summers

Summers, for Indians, is a lot different from that of our Western counterparts.
They sing about Summertime, 'when the living is easy', and romp on the beaches all day long, soaking up the sun and getting a nice tan.

For Indians, it is actually the harshest and most troubling season of the year.
So, we need to take lots of extra care to stay cool, and avoid sunburns, heatstroke and other heat related problems.

Here are some tips, how you can keep yourself cool this summer:

i. It is really the best and most effective way to cool your body's core temperature and unblock the pores from sweat and grime. Do not use chilled water. It should be just cool to the touch so that you don't shock your skin.

ii. Bathe at least twice a day with a mild soap. Menthol-based body washes, like Liril Ice Blue or Marks & Spencer's Forest Fern, both at all cosmetic outlets, are really cool. Stop using any product, if it starts irritating or creates tingling sensation on your skin as menthol does not suit every body type and your skin might be sensitive to menthol.

iii. Add essential oils your bath water, which can be very cooling and soothing. Best is to use Lavender or Citrus oils. Just a few drops are enough.

Don't let the resident bacteria attack you, as they get attracted towards sweat and dead cells held in body folds. These dead cells break into foul-smelling substances, leading to body odor. Use deodorants, sprays, powders and sanitizers to keep yourself sweat free and smell-free too! Also:

    i. Do not overuse talc. It may block pores.

    ii. Use roll-on deodorants for underarms that list Aluminium hexahydrate as one of the ingredients. Try Avon, Suave, or Fa available at most cosmetic outlets. I love Fa!

    iii. Spray-on deos are best - they do not block pores, can be used as frequently as desired. You can even carry it in your purse for an instant freshening-up.

Some people (including me) also suffer from too much sweating over palms and soles (also called Hyperhidrosis), which is really embarrassing as I can tell from my own experience. However, there are solutions too:

i. Formaline soaks are a cheap treatment to decrease sweat secretion, but tend to discolor the skin and nails.

ii. Iontophoresis (the process of passing electric current of very low voltage with galvanic rollers over the affected parts) is also quite effective.

iii. Botox is the latest and most effective remedy. At about Rs 20,000 - Rs.90,000 per sitting, tiny injections of this substance are injected into the affected area with excellent control of sweating which lasts for six to eight months.This treatment can be repeated as often as desired.

I have not tried any yet, I just go for keeping a fresh paper napkin with me all the time, to simply keep my palms dry, clean and fragrant. For my feet, I try to wear sandals in summers, so there is enough air passage that prevents the formation of sweat.

Check my this hub to learn more about various summer essentials and various additional tips, which you must have and know, to beat the heat.